Portable electrolytic water treatment device



March 21, 1961 E. s. BRE'MERM'AN PORTABLE ELECTROLYTIC WATER TREATMENT DEVICE Filed July 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 21, 1961 E. s. BREMERMAN PORTABLE ELECTROLYTIC WATER TREATMENT DEVICE Filed July 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nw E/vrare:

5:16am- 5. EREMEEMAM QT ORA/E 7 5 PORTABLE ELECTROLYTIC WATER TREATli [ENT l DEVICE Eugene S. Bremerman, 82 Whitehall Court, St. Louis, Mo.

, Filed July 28, 1953, Ser. No. 751,340

3 Claims. (Cl. 122-4) top of the boiler shell and, in general, it is a custom ap plication that must be manufactured to each'individual application. Once installed,'it is difiicult to expand the application to vary the size of the unit or remove it for servicing. v

By means of this invention, there has been provided a portable device which may be used in boilers and the like which is adapted to be employed with other such devices for increasing the effective action" for'varying sized boilers. The device is one that can be simply placed upon the tubes within the boiler and requires no special fabrication within the boiler otherthan the simple attachment of ground cables to the shell of the boiler. The frame of the device may be made of conventional steel construction of the same electrolytic properties as the boiler construction. The device may be installed, maintained or removed through the conventional manholes which are found in the boiler shell. Special support means are provided whereby the device may be supported upon the boiler shell in stable fashion without electrolytic currents passing therethrough through the provision of speciallyconstructed insulated feet which may bead justed to fit varying structural conditions.

The portable device of this invention is simple in construction andnature, yet rugged in its'characteristics, and is adapted to be used by relatively unskilled personnel in anexpeditious manner.

It-is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a portable device for accomplishing the above-mentioned objectives to increasethe eliiciency of boilers.

It is another object of this invention to provide a portable boiler device whichmay be used in multiple with ates :i te

r the detailed description which follows and will be further apparent to those'skilled in the art.

For the purpose of illustration of this invention, there is shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of this invention. It is to be understood that these drawings are for the purposeof example only and that the invention is not limited thereto.

a In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a boiler shell with part of the shell broken away'to show the boiler tubes nested therein; 1

and a plurality of the boiler devices of this invention con Figure 2 is a top plan view of the boiler device of this invention shown connected to another such device in tandem;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing the construction of a V boiler device and the attachment of the supports;

other such devices 'by a very simple electrical connec-- tion Without therequirement of any complicated construction by service personnel. I

It is still another object of this invention to provide a portable boiler' device having adjustable supports whereby the devicen'iay be placed upon boiler tubes in insulated relationship'with provisions for adjusting the support to meet varyingfboiler tube constructions;

v Yet another object of this invention is to provide a portable boiler device which is rugged in construction, simple to install and maintain, and is effective in operation.

Still further objects of this invention will appear in Figure 4 is an enlarged view in section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure'l, showing the attachment of a ground cable from the device to the shell of the boiler;

Figure 5 is a view in section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4, showing theshell connection;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view in section of the insulated connection between the boiler device support and the framework of the boiler device; and

Figure 7 is anelevational view of a modified form of support. i

lThe boiler device of this invention is designated by the numeral 10 in Figures 1, 2 and 3. It consists of two main components, the frame 11 and support members 12.

The frame 11 is composed of two longitudinally extending channel members l3and 14. The longitudinal members are connected to one another by cross members 15 and 16. These channel members perform the dual pup pose of providing strength and rigidity as well as a large surface area to enhance the corrosion and scale forming inhibition action of the invention. Connecting links 18 and 19, as shown in Figure 2, are adapted to be connected to the ends ofthe longitudinal members 13 and 14 so that adjacent boiler devices may be connected in tandem. In order to provide proper electrical contact between these units, the longitudinal members irithe adjacent units are connected together by brazing a copper cable, or the like, to the adjacent ends as shown in the connecting cables 21 and 22 in Figure 2.

The supporting members 12 are best shown in Figures 3 and 6 with a modified form of support member being shown in Figure 7. In the embodiments of Figures 3 and 6, the support member includes a plurality of studs 24- welded to the underneath side of the longitudinal members and having threaded ends receiving an internally and externally threaded insulating member, which may be made of any conventional insulating material that is desirably made of a plastic, such as Teflon, or other similar non-conducting composition. The insulating member 25 is threadedly received in a socket 26 attached to a support leg 27 which is hooked at the end 28- in order that the leg may fit over the boiler tubes and catch thereon, as shown in Figure 3. By means of the threaded relationship of the socket 25 with the stud 24 and the socket 26 with respect to the insulating plug, it will readily be seen that the leg 27 maybe rotatably adjusted with respect to the frame and that vertical adjustment may also be made by this means.

A modification'of thesupport member shown in Figures 3 and 6 is shown in'Figure 7Jai1d identified by the reference numeral '31; In this device, similar components previously identified in Figures 3 and 6 will be given the same reference numerals, but it will be noted that the support leg which is identified by the reference Patented Mar. 2 1 1961 numeral 32 is of a different construction. In the embodiment of Figure 7, the support leg is made of a platelike disc which has a pin member 33 attached to its center. In this manner, the pin may be caught between adjacent boiler tubes and the support leg will not rotate and slip should the boiler device be located in an inclined manner as may be desirable in some installations.

In order to attach the boiler device 10 to the boiler shell for proper grounding, a cable 34 is provided as shown in Figure 2. One end of this cable is brazed to a cross member while the other end is provided with a contact hook 35. The connection to the shell is best shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, and as there shown is effected through the use of a connecting plate member 37 which is brazed or welded to the interior of the shell, or otherwise suitably secured with a good electrical contact between these components. The plate 37 is provided with a connecting bolt 38 and a wing nut 39. The connecting hooks of the cable 34 are hookedupon the bolt 38 and drawn up tight through the use of the wing nut. In order to provide a good firm electrical contact, solder may be added at the points of contact as shown at 41 in Figure 5 before the wing nut 39 is drawn up tight.

- Use The boiler device 10 of this invention is shown in typical use in a boiler 43 in Figure 1. The boiler shown is a conventional one having a plurality of tubes 44 with a water line maintained somewhere around the line indioated at 45. It will be understood that there is a feed pipe 46 and a steam outlet (not shown) with a blow-01f pipe 47 for removing mud, sludge, and the like. Conventionally, such boiler shells are provided with manholes at the top in the broken-away portion of Figure 1 or at other convenient points of access.

The boiler device 10 is adapted to be very easily inserted through the conventional manhole or hand hole, and the supports may be positioned in such a manner that the leg members 27 and the hooked end portions 28 engage the tubes to hold the boiler device above them as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 7. The boiler device is of a low flat construction so it may be simply placed upon these tubes while still being kept under the water surface level. As shown in Figure 1, there are three boiler devices employed, it being understood that additional devices may be installed where desired. The boiler device 10 shown at the left hand endof the boiler is connected directly to the plate 37 by a separate cable 34. The two boiler devices 10 shown at the right end of the boiler are connected together in tandem by the use of copper cables 21 and 22 and employ a single cable 34 extending from the middle boiler device to the plate 37. It will be readily understood that all three of the boiler devices may be connected together in tandem with the employment of only a single cable 34 or, alternatively, three separate cables may be used while maintaining the boiler devices otherwise separate.

The installation is completed by connecting a ground cable 48 to the boiler shell adjacent the plate 37 by a weldment, such as shown in Figure 4, and the driving of the ground rod 49 into a good firm positive ground connection.

It will be understood that when the boiler device 10 with the support 12, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, is employed, the legs 27 and hooked end portions 28 can be rotated with respect to the frame so as to insure that a proper grabbing contact of the boiler tubes is obtained. Where it is desired to provide for relative adjustment of one support with respect to another, the support members can be screwed in and out by means of the thread 4 connection between the stud 24, the insulating member 25, and the socket 26.

The support member 31 of Figure 7 may also be employed where the boiler device 10 is to be positioned in a slanting relationship, or where there is any vibration that might tend to dislodge the legs 27 and 28 in the support 12. A stable relationship for such a situation is thereby provided by this embodiment.

When the boiler device 10 is installed in the boiler as above described, a good electrical contact is provided between the frame of the device and ground through the cables 34, the soldered connections on the connecting plate 37, and through the ground cable and ground rod. The frame of the device is well insulated from the boiler by means of the insulating plug 25 and it will be seen that the installation is relatively simple and expedient. For service and maintenance or replacement, ready access may be made to the boiler device and no complicated structure or technique is required.

Once installed in the manner described, the boiler device operates very effectively for the minimization of electrolytic corrosion and inhibition of pitting and scale formation. The success of the apparatus has been demonstrated by many successful applications and the substantial advance provided by the convenience and use of the boiler device of this invention has greatly improved the efliciency of boiler operations and longevity.

Various changes and modifications may be made in this invention as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable protector device removably positioned in a metallic boiler having a metallic shell-like container and horizontally extending boiler tubes contained therein below a water level, said device comprising a low relatively flat elongated frame having a plurality of elongated metallic members connected by metallic crossmembers, means supporting the frame upon the boiler tubes in spaced relation thereto beneath the water level, said supporting means comprising a plurality of metallic studs connected to the bottom of the frame, an adjustable insulating member threadedly adjustable on the lower end of the stud, and horizontally extended metallic support element having a threaded socket adjustable upon an exterior threaded surface of the insulating member, said metallic support element having a vertical end element adapted to catch between the horizontal boiler tubes to hold the device upon the tubes, and electrical cable means electrically connecting the frame to the interior of the container above the liquid level.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the metallic support element consists of an elongated horizontal member rigidly connected to the bottom of the socket and having an offset downwardly directed vertical end element at one side.

3. The device of claim 1 in which the metallic support element consists of a flat horizontally disposed disc having a diameter substantially greater than the distance between laterally adjacent boiler tubes with a pin member depending vertically from the center of said disc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 507,710 Horton et a1. Oct, 31, 1893 1,041,188 Stewart Oct. 15, 1912 1,449,991 Gunderson Mar. 27, 1923 2,499,670 Neeley Mar. 7, 1950 

